DOUBLE HANDFUL

John Shaw’s racing betting column in association with

MY favourite race of the five-day Royal Ascot meeting is the curtain-raiser, the Queen Anne Stakes. So, once I’ve backed the loser in the first contest, I’m not sure if things can go downhill ownhill or only improve.

I recall investing a tidy dy sum on Ribchester in 2017 to start the meeting off with a bang, although I seem to remember the profits had pretty much disappeared by the end of the day.

Is it me, or does there always seems to be more races than money?

There was deathly silence ilence when Accidental Hero romped home in the Queen Anne at 33-1 last year.

Well, I say silence. I did emit a little roar and a fist pump but that was purely to give the impression to the people in my immediate vicinity that I had backed the winner.

If you don’t win, you can always give them the impression you did.

My father taught me that little

morsel of misinformation, even though he wasn’t the most successful man in his own right.

He once entered a competition to find the biggest loser in the world — he came second second.

Anyw Anyway, I do have a strong fancy in the Queen Anne, and at a juicy price. The favourite is Le B Brivido and I just can’t believe he’s shorter in the betting than Lockinge winner MUSTASHRY. Mustashry had L Laurens, Accidental A Agent, Romanised and the fast-finishing Le Brivi Brivido behind him, four horses in the top six of the betting for today’s race.

I fully expect Mustashry to go off favourite and jollies have a damn fine record in this race.

Five of the last 10 renewals of the Queen Anne have been won by the market leader and all five were priced 11-8 or shorter.

The quote of 6-1 that I’m holding makes me look rather smug, at least until after the race has finished.